An Open Letter to Principled Non-Voters
Dear Principled Non-Voters,
I understand how you feel. I’m disappointed with Canadian politics too. I’m tired of the empty promises, the outright lies, and the corporate sellouts. It seems as if voting makes no difference and no matter who is elected, it is the same old BS. Voting can feel like the difference between Coke and Pepsi — they’re really not that different. So why bother voting?
A few years ago, I went through a period where I considered myself a principled non-voter. Today, I decided to thoroughly question the reasons I gave myself and the reasons that others have given me for not voting. These are six reasons voiced by principled non-voters, for why they choose not to participate.
1) I do not vote because I am dissatisfied with the system.
There are many reasons to disbelieve in the system. From the lack of environmental concerns, to the worship of the almighty dollar. From C51 all the way through to the TPP. It’s easy to feel that genuinely important issues are overlooked.
However, we stand in the age of information. The lies, despite being pushed more heavily than ever, are easier to see through if you look hard enough. And as more young Canadians come of age with the eyes of the Internet, we stand a greater chance of seeing through the clutter.
That’s why, we need to help the political system evolve with us. There is currently a strong movement being organized by Fair Vote Canada to end first past the post voting and to push forward a more representative form of democracy with proportional representation.
Just recently, the Liberals released this statement within their policies:
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT immediately after the next election, an all-Party process be instituted, involving expert assistance and citizen participation, to report to Parliament within 12 months with recommendations for electoral reforms including, without limitation, a preferential ballot and/or a form of proportional representation, to represent Canadians more fairly and serve Canada better.
And in January 2015, Mulcair proclaimed his support for mixed-member proportional representation.
The Green Party include this within their policy:
Legislate the end of first-past-the-post voting; establish immediately an all-party Democratic Voting Commission to review past research and conduct a public consultation on the style of proportional representation best suited to Canada. We will instruct it to make recommendations to Parliament for the necessary democratic voting reform, including draft legislation, within 12 months;
Already, it is clear that these three parties are interested in a fundamental change to the status quo of our system.
2) I dislike all parties equally.
If your claim is that there is no party that you prefer to any other party, I can’t tell you what’s in your own mind, but I do find that difficult to believe. If you’re not sure which party aligns best with your values, the Vote Compass at CBC has been used nearly 1.3 million times and will help you get a grasp of where you fall on today’s political spectrum.
3) All of the parties simply play the role of puppets in a shadow government where the ‘real rules’ are written and applied by private corporations and international banking conglomerates.
Well, you might not be wrong but that isn’t a reason not to vote. If you want to see changes in our laws for the better, those will happen within the government. As much as you may like to, we do not pass the laws outside of parliament.
4) A single vote doesn’t make a difference.
This statement is simply a falsehood. On May 4th, 2015, a PEI election was decided by a coin toss after two candidates each received the same number of votes, 1173.
More eligible voters stayed home than elected Stephen Harper.
5) Voting in general is ‘a vote to retain the status quo’.
Voting in general is not a vote of confidence in the system. It is a vote to give yourself a representative that can speak on your behalf as compared to having no vote in who that representative is. It is not a vote of ‘absolute faith in the system’.
By choosing not to vote, you amplify the votes of others. And if others are voting for parties that support the status quo that you dislike, your inaction makes you an accomplice.
Not voting does not create change. Voting creates change.
Not voting does actually create change, just not the kinds of change you want to see.
We can also remark on secondary reactions to not voting — this very article for example and all of them like it. However, I have yet to discover value-creation through ‘not voting’.
6) If enough people refuse to vote, there will be change.
There are already millions of people not voting. 2008 was the lowest voter turnout in Canadian history with 58.8%. If that number drops to 50% or 30%, what happens then? Extreme dissatisfaction with the system and low voter turnout will bring more people to the ballot boxes over time with increasingly radical propositions. It is baseless to believe that if a large enough percentage of Canadians refuse to vote, change will come about more quickly than if the disenfranchised actually stood up and voted today.
Comparatively, to not eat meat out of principle can have an impact over time. To not vote out of principle doesn’t. The only person you’re making a statement to is yourself. ‘Not voting’ seems hard to justify as a rational decision. It is a sign that the media, government, and corporate powers that be have succeeded in overwhelming your senses and destabilizing your belief in politics. The person who loses the most from the action of not voting is you. How does one change the world for the better feeling jaded and powerless?
Democracy doesn’t end with voting.
Democracy starts with voting. It continues with volunteer work with local non-profits and schools, social work in our communities, concrete actions like joining your local transition group, writing to newspapers and our elected officials, researching for the Community University Research Exchange, sharing your values and building the future you want to see. This article is my latest contribution to the democratic process and it won’t be my last. We need to involve ourselves in all of the ways we can to make this world better together.
Voting takes just a few hours out of a single day every few years. It’s worth your time. If there is a chance to make a change — even a small one — you should go for it. Inspire others and be inspired by others, and the cycle will never end.
You can check off your vote for the party that aligns closest to your values at the ballot box or you can check out of democracy. Please take the time on October 19th and vote.
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Jamie Klinger — Founder of JoatU and Honestly Marketing, Community Organizer, Entrepreneur, Journalist, Photographer, Marketer, Poker Coach and Rebel with a Cause.
For the past three years, I have been living a basic income experiment where I live simply, spending under $12,000 per year to raise awareness for Unconditional Basic Income (UBI).
I am working for, promoting, and writing about causes that I sincerely believe in. If you find my work to be worth something, please consider hiring me for a contract, offering me a one-time donation, or supporting my goal in achieving a basic income.
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Addendum
Here is what I think we need from effective governance :
- Investment in Community-oriented Economies supported by Canadian CED Network/ Réseau canadien de DEC
- An end to First Past The Post with Fair Vote Canada
- An end to the war on drugs with Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy
- An end to draconian ‘security’ bills like C-51 with Open Media
- An end to mandatory minimum prison sentences and a stronger refocusing on rehabilitation and education
- Increased protection of our environment and collective resources
- Ending our dependence on oil and supporting the Tar Sands Blockage
- To acknowledge Indigenous Peoples Issues and Resources and that we are on native land
- A Universal Basic Income with Basic Income Earth Network and Revenu de base Québec
- Responsible mining practices
- Local self-sustainability initiated by local transition movements
- Responsible purchasing from countries with a respectable human rights records
